🏈 NFL Trade Requests & Rumors + Mookie is Back ⚾️

Good Morning Blitzers!

Ever start a new job and after a few weeks you think, ‘what am I doing here? I’ve made a huge mistake.’ Well if you have, then you and Jets LB Haason Reddick have something in common. Four months ago Reddick was traded from the Eagles to the Jets, and the 29 year old Pro Bowler was looking for a fresh start and a big new contract. Yesterday, he officially requested a trade. Reddick is only making… $14.25 million this year, and has yet to don a Jets jersey. He has missed the last 21 days of training camp racking up $1.7 million dollars in fines. Very relatable.

We got more top stories, baseball scores/highlights, and our first look at the NFL season, in our AFC East division preview. So take a short break from your day job (maybe not 21 days), and keep scrolling!

WTF Stat: AFC East teams have won 26 AFL/AFC Titles. In the four team division, the Jets are tied for 5th in AFC Titles. The Patriots (11), Bills (6), and Dolphins (5) lead the pack, and the Oilers (now Titans) come in 4th with two titles. The Jets who have been in the division since its inception are tied with the Colts with a single AFC title apiece. Note: the Colts and Titans left the division in 2002.

🏈 Jets' Haason Reddick requests trade amid contract dispute. The Jet’s general manager, Joe Douglas response: “We have informed Haason that we will not trade him, that he is expected to be here with his teammates." Pro Bowl edge rusher has incurred $1.7 million in fines for missing 21 days of training camp. Strap in, this one may not be resolved anytime soon.

🥉 Gymnastics: CAS refuses to reconsider Jordan Chiles' bronze medal decision (she was initially awarded the medal then stripped because the scoring appeal that vaulted her into 3rd place, came 4 seconds beyond the one-minute time limit). USA Gymnastics disputes timing of appeal and plans to continue fighting the ruling, potentially leading to a lengthy legal battle over Olympic gymnastics scores. We’ll let another famous Chiles, give our thoughts on the matter. We stand with Jordan.

🏈 Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs suffers hamstring injury at practice. Gibbs is coming of a Pro Bowl rookie season and is aiming for 1,000 yards rushing and receiving. We should get clarity on the severity of the injury in the coming days.

⚾️ Dodgers' Mookie Betts returns from IL with a bang, homering in 5-2 win vs Brewers. Eight-time All-Star moves back to right field, with Amed Rosario being designated for assignment and Jason Heyward's playing time potentially reduced.

🏈 Patriots' Edge rusher Matthew Judon draws trade interest amid contract stalemate. Multiple teams have inquired about the pass rusher, who's due $6.5 million in his final contract year. Judon briefly left training camp practice on July 29th but has since returned to assist coaches on the sideline.

NFL SEASON PREVIEW

The preseason is underway, the regular season is fast approaching, which means it is time to start our 2024 NFL previews. Our journey, Blitzers, will begin in quite possibly the biggest mind pretzel division in the league: The AFC East.

1. Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Head coach Mike McDaniel, the fun, quirky, soundbite machine, may be starting to feel some pressure. The front office has spent the last several years stacking this roster with speed and big names on both sides of the ball. What have they gotten? Zero playoff wins. Zero division titles. With the Bills likely to take a step back (see below), this is Miami’s division to win. Anything less, and the capri pants with a side of nonchalance may get the boot/fin.

Biggest Additions: S Jordan Poyer, LB Shaquil Barrett, WR Odell Beckham Jr., CB Kendall Fuller

Biggest Departures: DL Raekwon Davis, DL Christian Wilkins, CB Xavien Howard

Biggest Question: Will all of these pieces stay on the field? If the answer is yes, this team will make noise.

Playmakers: Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle – the fastest/most electric WR duo in the league.

Name You Should Know: RB De’vone Achane – 800 yards rushing, 7.8 YPC, if he can stay healthy for a full year… watchout.

Sleeper: LB David Long Jr. – the former 6th round pick led the team in tackles last year while putting up linebacker best 92.6 PFF grade against the run.

Record Projection: 12-5

2. Buffalo Bills

This offseason was a head scratcher for Bills fans. WRs Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis are out and the Bills front office replaced them with… WR Curtis Samuel, a rookie (second round pick WR Keon Coleman), and WR Chase Claypool. Add in all the losses on the defensive side and this may be a completely different team. Cue the ‘yikes’ memes. However, Sean McDermott has only one losing season under his belt and four straight division titles. In short, he wins. The season may not be pretty, but the Bills will win just enough to be in the playoff hunt.

Biggest Additions: OT La'el Collins, WR Curtis Samuel, WR Keon Coleman (R), RB Ray Davis (R)

Biggest Departures: WR Stefon Diggs, WR Gabe Davis, EDGE Leonard Floyd, CB Tre’Davious White, S Micah Hyde, S Jordan Poyer

Biggest Question: Who steps up at receiver and in the secondary?

Playmakers: RB James “Let Him” Cook and TE Dalton Kincaid - need to be the answer posed to the question above.

Name You Should Know: DT Ed Oliver - one of the most disruptive tackles in the NFL, career high 9.5 sacks in 2023.

Sleeper: DE Gregory Rousseau - Sack totals went down last year, but this dude has a 1st round pedigree, the size, and the speed to be Buffalo’s next great pass rusher.

Projection: 10-7

3. New York Jets

Is this team good on paper? Absolutely. They added deep threat WR Mike Williams in free agency and drafted Wisconsin workhorse RB Braelon Allen to go with WR Garrett Wilson and home run threat RB Breece Hall. The defense will be outstanding again and if the offense can improve their paltry 15.9 points per game, a winning record and Robert Saleh’s job security will be the result. It all hinges on a seemingly unhinged, over-40, psilocybin advocating, devil may care, future hall of famer, QB Aaron Rodgers. What could go wrong? Oh I know, they’re the Jets.

Biggest Additions: LB Haason Reddick (see note above 🙃), WR Mike Williams, LT Tyron Smith, DT Javon Kinlaw, OT Olu Fashanu (R)

Biggest Departures: OT Mekhi Becton, DE John Franklin-Myers

Biggest Question: What Aaron Rodgers are the Jets getting in 2024? MVP Rodgers or I’d rather be in Ibiza Rodgers?

Playmakers: WRs Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams - on paper (key phrase) one of the most talented WR duos in the league. Jets fans have waited for Wilson to get unlocked by Rodgers and if Williams can stay healthy he has game breaker potential.

Name You Should Know: RB Breece Hall - the former Iowa State cyclone can do it all when healthy, with an improved passing game and additions to the offensive line, Hall is poised to light up the stat sheet.

Sleeper: EDGE Jermain Johnson - 7.5 sacks in his sophomore campaign will have an opportunity to make headlines.

Projection: 9-8

4. New England Patriots

The king is dead. Long live the king. The transition of power from Bill Belichick to Jerod Mayo was, all things considered, smooth. (Outside of Robert Kraft’s hit-piece documentary on Apple). The Pats will again rely on their defense to keep games close and pray for a lucky bounce to win games. As long as the offense isn’t historically bad like it was last year (first team ever to lose 3 games while giving up 10 or less points…puke), they should win a few games. The key words being ‘a few’. Keep your expectations low and you won’t be disappointed, that is the theme for Pats fans this year.

Biggest Additions: QB Jacoby Brissett, WR KJ Osborn, RB Antonio Gibson, Drake Maye (R), Ja’Lynn Polk (R), Javon Baker (R)

Biggest Departures: HC Bill Belichick, OT Trent Brown, RB Ezekial Elliot, LB Mack Wilson Sr., CB JC Jackson, DL Lawrence Guy

Biggest Question: When will Drake Maye be given the keys to the offense?

Playmakers: TBD - No running back or receiver sniffed 1,000 yards last year. This title is up for grabs so the rebuilding Pats.

Name You Should Know: CB Christian Gonzalez - before a season ending injury Gonzalez was locking up WR1s in his rookie campaign.

Sleeper: WR Javon Baker - the rookie from UCF led the Big 12 in yardage last season and is isn’t short on confidence

Projection: 5-12

MLB - Top Games

• Cleveland Guardians 9, Chicago Cubs 8: Guardians win in thriller. Josh Naylor (2-4, 2 RBI) hit go-ahead single in 8th. Rookie Jhonkensy Noel (2-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI) homered twice and run saving catch. Emmanuel Clase earned 36th save, MLB-best. Nick Sandlin (7-0) got the win in relief.

  Key Highlight: Noel’s 3-run homer — how does he possibly golf this pitch out?

• Boston Red Sox 5, Texas Rangers 4 (10 innings): Red Sox snap skid in extras. Rob Refsnyder (2-5, 1 RBI) hit walk-off single. Enmanuel Valdez (1-1, 1 2B, 1 RBI) tied game with pinch-hit double. Corey Seager (2-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI) homered for Texas.

  Key Highlight: Walk-offs at Fenway are always beautiful, 🎶 I love that dirty water 🎶 

• Los Angeles Dodgers 5, Milwaukee Brewers 2: Dodgers win as Betts returns. Mookie Betts (2-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI) homered and drove in three. Clayton Kershaw earned his first win of the season, striking out six and allowing one run over 5 2/3 innings. Shohei Ohtani (1-3, 2 RBI, 1 HR) hit his 36th homer, while William Contreras hit a two-run homer for the Brewers. Daniel Hudson secured his 15th save as the Dodgers tied for the best record in the majors.

  Key Highlight: Rust? What rust? Mookie’s back:

• Arizona Diamondbacks 5, Colorado Rockies 4: Corbin Carroll and Kevin Newman scored on back-to-back wild pitches in the seventh inning, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 5-4 win over the Colorado Rockies, marking their fourth straight victory. Jake McCarthy contributed two hits and two RBIs, while Brandon Pfaadt tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts over seven innings.

  Key Highlight: Brandon Pfaadt stuff is nasty

• Atlanta Braves 1, San Francisco Giants 0: Blake Snell and Chris Sale delivered a pitching masterpiece, but Travis d’Arnaud’s pinch-hit sacrifice fly in the 10th inning secured the win. Sale struck out 12 and allowed just three hits over seven scoreless innings, while Snell carried a no-hitter into the seventh, finishing with 11 strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings. Marcell Ozuna broke up Snell’s no-hit bid with a double in the seventh. Sale now leads the NL with a 2.61 ERA, while Snell has allowed two hits or fewer in five of his last seven starts.

  Key Highlight: Incredible pitchers duel:

See the full MLB scoreboard here and the current standings here.

On this day in 1991, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana tore a tendon in his elbow during practice. He would sit out all of the 1991 season, and only appear in the final regular season game of the 1992 season (his last game as a 49er). Montana would be traded to the Kansas City Chiefs and play for two more years, retiring at the age of 38. Steve Young (pictured above) would take the Hall of Famers role in 1991 and go on to win two MVPs and Super Bowl XXIX.

Trivia Time Answer

A. Buffalo Bills - we would give you the answer in a table, but it would likely break. Buffalo Bills Highmark Stadium aka Ralph Stadium, was was opened in 1973. Most importantly the breaking table tradition is believed to have started in 2015 or 2016 after the act went viral in a video.